Elmira upends No. 2 team in NY, heads to semifinals

ENDICOTT — The Express took the best shots the No. 2 Class AA team in New York State had in its arsenal, but nothing was going to deny Elmira’s football team a spot in the state semifinals.

Elmira, ranked 18th in New York, scored a go-ahead touchdown with 2:28 remaining in the game and thwarted Christian Brothers Academy’s two comeback attempts to win 24-18 in Saturday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association quarterfinal game at Union-Endicott’s Ty Cobb Stadium. It’s not overstating that Saturday’s game was one of the most significant in Elmira’s very proud football history.

“I can’t tell you how proud we are of the kids, they answered the bell and did a real nice job of responding,” said second-year Express coach Jim McCauley. “We had some turnovers in the game that you never want to have, but not once did the kids give up – they played hard, 110 percent. We’re so proud of the program and the community.”

November 23, Elmira will take on either Aquinas or Jamestown in the NYSPHSAA Class AA semifinals at Sahlen’s Field in Rochester at 6 p.m.

A perennial state contender, Christian Brothers Academy from Syracuse suburb DeWitt presented the Express with an NCAA Division I-bound quarterback, a 1,300-yard rusher and a roster loaded with athletic talent. What the Brothers (10-1) couldn’t account for with Elmira – only in its third season as a combined team – was a baffling misdirection offense and a tenacious defense that punished the CBA backfield.

With two-and-a-half minutes left in the first quarter, CBA was able to complete an eight-play, 60-yard drive when J.R. Zazzara hit an outstretched Jonathan Stackhouse for a four-yard touchdown pass on 4th and goal from the 4-yard line. The ball came out of Stackhouse’s hands as he hit the turf, but he had already broken the end zone plane and was awarded the score.

It took Elmira two possessions and seven minutes to come up with an answer, thanks to Eli Thomas’ spinning power run into the end zone with 7:24 minutes left in the half. That score set up a wild sequence to finish the first half.

With 1:25 left in the second quarter, Elmira quarterback Rasean Brooks took a first down snap from the 47-yard line, rolled out to his left and hit Thomas, who caught the pass on the 10-yard by leaping over two defenders, twisting 180 degrees and stumbling into the end zone to give Elmira its first lead of the game, 12-7 following two failed two-point conversions. That left CBA with 1:18 minutes to come up with an answer before halftime.

The Brothers proved why their offense is one of New York’s scariest to defend.

Starting on their own 38-yard line, Zazzara hit Andre Dowdell down the right sideline for a 37-yard completion and raced back to the line of scrimmage. Quickly, Zazzara took the snap out of the shotgun formation and found Dowdell all alone in the back of the end zone from 24 yards away. Zazzara ran in a two-point conversion to push the lead to 15-12 – all in a span of 16 seconds.

“It’s tough, they’re a good team with good players, but we played by our rules and played smart,” Brooks said. “We believe in each other. We’re a tight-knit team and that’s how we do it.”

On Elmira’s first possession of the second half, the Express, which was gashing CBA’s defensive front all day, marched 69 yards in less than four minutes to set up Thomas’ 1-yard standing burst into the end zone to go ahead 18-15. From that point on, the best CBA could do was tie the score up a 18-18 with a 24-yard field goal to start the fourth quarter.

The Express stuffed CBA’s running game, albeit one offset by a nicked up star halfback Deshawn Salter, and harassed Zazzara every time he dropped back. Zazzara was only sacked once, by Luke Proudfoot, but was on the stadium turf each time he touched the ball. That led to two interceptions, several throws off the mark and a lot of scrambling.

“CBA has a great offense, they kind of cause you a lot of fits. We did a nice job of forcing them to do a lot of things they don’t want to do,” McCauley said. “The defensive line did a nice job of getting pressure and flushing him out of the pocket and the D-backs made some plays when they needed to. Everybody knows, (coaches) have the easy job, they’re out there executing on each play.”

After Nolan Bower tied the game with CBA’s field goal, Elmira took possession with nine minutes left in the game and just killed the game clock with a 12-play, 6:32 minute drive that ended with Thomas punching in a 2-yard touchdown run – his fourth of the game. Leading 24-18 with 2:23 minutes left, Brooks picked off a long bomb by Zazzara on CBA’s first play. With 1:06 minutes left, after Elmira turned the ball over on downs, Zazzara hit Stackhouse with a 21-yard strike to the 41-yard line, but that was as close as the Brothers would get.

Elmira’s Allaah Sessions, who was a monster in the defensive backfield all day, batted down Zazzara’s fourth-down pass with 26 seconds left – giving the Express their first trip to the state semifinals in front of a large and boisterous contingent of Express fans.

“They’ll enjoy this Sunday and then start to calm down. We always push that it’s all about the next game, so we’ll enjoy this and look at some film and get a game plan ready Monday for the next opponent,” McCauley said.

Elmira (10-0) held CBA to 256 yards of total offense (88 on the ground) while piling up 419 yards (357 rushing) that generated 21 first downs. The duo of Thomas – the gritty insider pounder – and Jerry McPeak – the speedback with power – accounted for 325 of those yards on the ground. McPeak finished with 184 rushing yards on 31 carries and Thomas enjoyed 141 yards rushing on 26 totes.

Had it not been for three lost fumbles and two stalled drives, Elmira’s numbers could have been much gaudier – and the score likely not as close. Still, in the clutch, Elmira’s line pushed CBA’s defense down the field.

“We do what we do, we believe in it and the kids believe in it,” McCauley said. “The front seven, from tight end to tight end, they’re in the trenches moving those big guys and letting the running backs get some creases. I’m a firm believer in your line play – your D line and your O line have got to come to play.”

Zazzara was 12-for-25 passing for 157 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while rushing for 35 yards on 10 carries – only three of which were designed plays. Salter, who amassed more than 1,300 yards this season before getting banged up in last week’s black-and-blue game against Henninger, was held to 14 yards on just five carries. Dowdell made three catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.

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